FUR-SEAL INDUSTRY. 103 



FUR-SEAL SKINS ON HAND DECEMBER 31, 1919. 



In order to have available in concise form figures in regard to 

 the number of fur-seal skins handled during the year and the number 

 on hand both at the Pribilof Islands and at St. Louis at the end of 

 the calendar year 1919, the following tabulations have been prepared: 



St. Louis Record op Sealskins. a 



On hand Jan. 1, 1919 29, 080 



Shipments received in 1919: 



January 7, 482 



June 4, 013 



July (from Washington) 12 



November 26, 185 



37, 692 



Total 66, 772 



Sales during 1919: 



April 10, 102 



September 9, 055 



19,157 



Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1919 47, 615 



Pribilof Record of Sealskins. a 

 On hand Jan. 1, 1919: 



St. Paul Island 3, 796 



St. George Island 389 



En route (on board Roosevelt) 7, 482 



11, 667 



Skins taken in 1919: 



St. Paul Island 24, 053 



St. George Island 3, 768 



27,821 



Total 39, 488 



Shipments during 1919: 



St. Paul Island 29, 352 



St. George Island 8, 328 



37, 680 



Balance on hand Dec. 31, 1919 (St. Paul, 1,405; St. George, 412).... 6 1,817 



Grand total on hand Dec. 31, 1919 49, 432 



SALE OF FOX SKINS. 



The fox skins taken on the Pribilof Islands in the season of 1918-19 

 numbered 667 blue pelts and 30 white pelts, which, with the excep- 

 tion of 2 blue pelts withheld for exhibition purposes at Washington, 

 were sold at public auction at St. Louis on wSeptember 10, 1919. The 

 665 blues brought $130,274.50, an average of $195.90 each, and the 

 30 white skins $1,660, an average of $55.33 each. The following 

 table shows details in regard to the sale: 



aWhen the shipment en route from the islands at the end of 191 8 was checked out at St. I.otiis the number 

 of skins was found to be 7,482 instead of 7,483, as stated on p. 114 of the corresponding report for 1918. It 

 was also found when skins were packed on St. George Island in 1919 that 389 skins remained from the 1918 

 take, instead of 387, as stated on p. 109 of the printed report for 1918. 



b A report from the agent and caretaker on St. Paul Island, dated Dee. 8, 1919, stated that coimts of 

 the skins on hand showed an excess of 9 over the number supposed to remain after all shipments. The 

 shipment which reached the dressing and dyeing plant in November, 1919, had not been unpacked and 

 checked at the end of the year, and part or all of this excess may be accounted for when final report is 

 made on that shipment. In handling the large number of skins taken during the season, it seems prac- 

 tically impossible to avoid the occurrence of slight discrepancies in the counts. 



